Doctoral Student, at Age 20, Begins Pursuit of Third GW Degree

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By the time most teenagers begin high school, Lola Nurullaeva was preparing to graduate. At just 15 years old, Nurullaeva received her diploma from a small high school in Northern Virginia in a pandemic parking-lot ceremony.

"It was kind of a strange experience," Nurullaeva recalled with a laugh.

After skipping eighth and 12th grade and earning college credits through dual enrollment at Northern Virginia Community College, Nurullaeva transferred to George Washington University at 16. By 19, she had earned her bachelor's degree in systems engineering with a minor in sustainability. Last spring, she graduated summa cum laude from GW's joint degree program, earning her master's degree in data analytics at only 20.

This fall, she is starting the quest for her third GW degree: a Ph.D. in systems engineering.

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nurullaeva moved to the U.S. before her first birthday. While she grew up in Northern Virginia, her family has its roots in the Xorazm region, whose traditions shaped her upbringing and continue to shape the person she is today. Xorazm carries an unexpected connection to her field of study: the word "algorithm" traces its origins to Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, a ninth-century polymath whose name translates to Muhammad, son of Moses, from Xorazm.

Nurullaeva did not set out to study data analytics. Initially, she simply had a passion for STEM and felt drawn to the interdisciplinary nature of systems engineering. An exploratory data analysis class, taught by Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Associate Professor John Helveston, sparked her interest in the field. When she started her master's degree, she discovered GW's data analytics program-and found Helveston was the department chair.

"It was kind of a seamless transition," Nurullaeva said. "I had done research with that professor during my undergrad, so I got to continue doing most of what I had already been doing."

For all of her early academic accolades, this path was not without its challenges.

Navigating higher education can be an overwhelming experience for anyone. For first-generation students, the unwritten rules of universities, like the application process, present unique hurdles. As the first in her family to attend an American university, Nurullaeva initially struggled to find her footing.

"I remember even just applying for college was very confusing. [But] we have great advisers and support systems. Even though I was a transfer and first gen, I was able to get by very smoothly," Nurullaeva said, crediting her adviser, Joost Santos, as being instrumental to her success.

Nurullaeva was not only younger than most of her classmates, she was also commuting to campus from her parents' home in Northern Virginia. GW's bustling urban environment was a stark shift from her small Turkish community-based high school, where her graduating class was nine students.

Despite these circumstances, Nurullaeva found that the smaller size of the School of Engineering and Applied Science (GW Engineering) fostered the same kind of close-knit atmosphere she had in high school.

"It's been really great. I found my own sort of bubble of like-minded women."

Despite her many achievements, from talking to Nurullaeva, it quickly becomes clear that the most meaningful parts of her college experience were the mentors, classmates and communities she found along the way. While working as a Dean's Fellow for Peer Mentorship in GW Engineering, her supervisor asked her how she managed to know so many people.

The answer was simple. Nurullaeva became involved across campus, joining the Asian American Student Association, First Generation United and Muslim Student Association and International Council on Systems Engineering, among others.

Just as meaningful, she said, was the opportunity to learn from those with backgrounds different from her own. Through organizations such as the Ethiopian Eritrean Students Association and GW's cultural events, she found opportunities to experience cultures beyond her own.

"I think it's really great to experience a lot of different cultures," Nurullaeva said, "For your own understanding and to be more open-minded."

Nurullaeva's own identity has played an important role in her approach to her education and career. She explains that her Islamic faith grounds her commitment to service.

"As Muslims, we strive to make the world a better place, and I think STEM is one of the really hands-on ways to do that," Nurullaeva said.

Beyond the classroom, she has already started using her skills to give back. During her time at GW, she founded her start-up Rental General, which offers a more affordable, sustainable option for obtaining graphing calculators, lab kits and other course materials. The company was named a semifinalist in GW's New Venture Competition.

As she begins her doctorate program, she will once again be mentored by Helveston, whose class sparked her interest in data analytics, along with Santos, the undergraduate faculty adviser who helped ease her transition as an undergraduate. She also recently started a new position with GW's Office of Survey Research and Analysis, where she is able to gain experience outside of the classroom.

Her advice to other first-generation students is simple.

"It takes a little bit of work at first, but even if you're shy, just go for it. We have the First Gen United doing a lot of events and having a lot of resources for students, and I think taking advantage of those things is really important."

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